GeraldSpeitel

Bio
Gerald (Jerry) Speitel has served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Cockrell School of Engineering since 2008. He oversees the school’s academic, faculty and fiscal affairs. Previously, he served as department chair of the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering from 2001 to 2008.

Speitel has been actively involved in drinking water research for over 30 years, focusing primarily on the treatment and control of hazardous organic chemicals, disinfection byproducts, and their precursors. His work has focused on the chemistry and treatment of disinfection by-products formed during chloramination and chlorination of drinking water.

A second major research effort has dealt with the development of bioreactors for the cometabolism of chlorinated aliphatic chemicals, including trihalomethanes. He’s also played a role in haloamine chemistry and cometabolism in understanding nitrification episodes in drinking water distribution systems. Other research has addressed the simultaneous biodegradation and adsorption of organic chemicals on granular activated carbon. Speitel’s research has included bench-scale studies, pilot studies and performance evaluations of full-scale facilities.

Educational Qualifications
Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, University of North Carolina, 1985
M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of North Carolina, 1979
B.S., Civil Engineering, Union College, 1976

Select Awards & Honors

• Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors fellow (2019)
• Faculty Excellence Award – The University of Texas at Austin (1990)
• Rudolph Hering Medal – American Society of Civil Engineers (1988)

Related Websites
Center for Water and the Environment

Select Publications